UCL Match Preview, Day 4 (2023/24): AC Milan Vs Paris Saint-Germain
The trophy is placed on display for the photographers before the soccer Champions League draw in Istanbul, Turkey, Thursday, Aug. 26, 2021. (AP Photo/Emrah Gurel)
Written By Onyeka Daniel
It will be an epic one at the Giuseppe Meazza stadium as AC Milan do battle with French club, PSG in their fourth game of the group stage in the UEFA Champions League with a place in the knockout stages at stake for both teams, at least, the home side need a win here to stand a chance, no matter how slim it appears. Milan started the season well, blazing hot with wins.
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But at some point, the cracks started to show as the team struggled, especially when having to deal with the absence of key players. Confidence appears to be at an all-time low ahead of the visit of Paris Saint-Germain, a daunting opponent for Milan after the Italian giants fell to a 3-0 defeat in the French capital.
A repeat of that dismal performance could see Pioli’s side cut adrift, yet despite winning just seven of their last 28 games in the competition, Milan can at least take confidence from their very strong home record against French opposition. More worrisome for the Rossoneri is the fact that they’re without a goal in their last 5 UCL games.
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A record stretching from last season, where they made it to the semi-final before being knocked out by their city rivals, Inter Milan. As things stand now, they are at risk of drawing a blank in three successive top-level European home games for the first time ever if they fail to find the back of the net in this game.
While Milan are unable to score a goal at the moment, PSG enter this tie on the back of a fantastic five-game winning run, scoring three goals in each of those contests while conceding just three in total along the way, temporarily stealing top spot in the Ligue 1 table from Nice in the process.
They will be keen to get a positive result from this game to increase their chances of qualifying for the knockout stages of the UCL and also completing a double over the Rossoneri in the process. Luis Enrique’s team cannot seal qualification to the knockouts no matter what transpires this week.
Though, PSG have just two wins to show from their last 10 Champions League away contests; in addition, not since beating Istanbul Basaksehir 2-0 in October 2020 have they kept a European clean sheet on the road.
However, PSG have already broken one unwanted streak in this season’s Champions League, having failed to win any of their four previous meetings with Milan before October’s three-goal thumping, and the French champions are now seeking their fifth win on the trot over Italian opposition.
Style Of Play
The two teams play the 4-3-3 formation and with almost a similar tactical set up and application. With Enrique, keeping possession is very important, patiently building up with short passes while depending on individual skills in decisive moments to break through against their opponent. For Milan, they also play out from the back, but aren’t afraid to play the occasional long ball to Giroud who is adept at hold up play to bring in Leao or Pulisic into play with a good lay off pass for a quick attack.
Recent Form
Milan in their last 20 games played across all competitions have 10 wins, 3 draws and 7 losses. They’re also winless in their last 5 games with their last win coming in the first week of October, before the last international break. For PSG, they’ve 11 wins, 4 draws and 5 losses in the same number of games. They’ve won their last 5 matches, scoring 3 goals in each match.
Head To Head
Both teams have faced each other 6 times, 5 in the UCL, with Milan winning two while two ended in a draw and PSG finally got a win against them with a 3-0 whipping in the first leg and will be hoping to do a double over Milan in this game.
Players To Watch
The trio of Rafael Leao, Olivier Giroud and Christian Pulisic will lead the attack for the Rossoneri while Theo Hernandez will take back his place at left-back. For the away side, another French talent, Kylian Mbappe will lead the attack while young midfielder, W. Zaire-Emery will be keen to prove himself after his impressive showing in the first leg.
AC Milan Possible Starting Lineup: Maignan; Calabria, Tomori, Thiaw, T. Hernandez; Musah, Reijnders, Loftus-Cheek; Pulisic, Giroud, Leao
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Paris Saint-Germain Possible Starting Lineup: Donnarumma; Hakimi, Marquinhos, Skriniar, L. Hernandez; Dembele, Ugarte, Zaire-Emery, Lee; Kolo Muani, Mbappe.
Injuries And Suspensions
Milan will be without Ismael Bennacer, Mattia Caldara, M. Sportiello, Pierre Kalulu and M. Pellegrino while Simon Kjaer remains doubtful. PSG will also be missing Marco Asensio, Presnel Kimpembe, Nuno Mendes, Keylon Navas, Sergio Rico and Daniel Pereira for this important encounter.
Verdict
With the result from the first leg, coupled with the home side’s recent form, a draw would be the most likely outcome, or a slight win for the Parisian club (1-1 or 1-2).
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